1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a muddler used in preparing mixed drinks and, more particularly, to a muddler with an auto-rotating pestle end.
2. Description of Related Art
In the mythology of mixology the muddler is a primary tool that is used to combine and crush solid ingredients of a drink. In a manner similar to a mortar and pestle, the muddler is a pestle that has a blunt or flattened end that is shaped to crush ingredients, e.g., held in the bottom of a glass or similar vessel which serves as the mortar, often before the liquid ingredients are added to the glass. Muddlers are traditionally fabricated of hardwood, and may be turned or carved to include a convenient handle shape adjacent to the pestle end. In more recent times muddlers have been fabricated of an impervious, food-grade hard plastic which is more durable when properly cleaned in a bar dishwasher that employs high temperature water and strong detergents. The food-grade hard plastic muddler is often chosen for use in mixing contemporary drinks that include fruit and fruit juices.
Contemporary drinks that are commonly prepared using a muddler include mint julep, mojito, caipirnha, old fashioned, and the like. New drinks employing other herbal ingredients and unusual fruit combinations are introduced regularly.
Aside from the general use of crushing an object such as a sugar cube, the muddler often serves to bruise and break leaves of herbs such as mint in order to cause them to release their essential aromatic oils, thereby to increase their flavoring effect in the drink being prepared. In this regard the pestle end of the muddler is not the optimal tool, since it is adapted primarily for crushing but not rending or shredding. Indeed, rending and shredding are typically accomplished by relative lateral motion between the pestle head and the surface of the glass vessel or container. The broad head of a muddler is normally almost as wide as the bottom of a drinking glass, providing very little free space for movement of the muddler head in the glass. Therefore crushing and pounding movements are often used instead. Muddlers as known in the prior art thus require more time and effort to bruise and rend the herbal ingredients in particular.